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Mar 31, 2018 / 18:38

Proposal to level up Soc Trang port to an international gateway seaport

The Ministry of Transport has agreed in writing with the proposal of Soc Trang People`s Committee for the Prime Minister’s approval on the revised master plan to upgrade Soc Trang seaport to a special seaport (IA grade) in the national seaport system.

Soc Trang Port.
Soc Trang Port.
The Soc Trang port will serve as an international gateway seaport with its main wharf area being the offshore one at Tran De river mouth, to accommodate ships of 50,000 - 100,000 and over 100,000 DWT, serving the Mekong Delta’s direct imports and exports, if approved.
Per the current planning, the Soc Trang port is a general local seaport of grade II with a main wharf area in Dai Ngai, receiving ships of 10,000 - 20,000 tons.
Based on the Prime Minister’s decision approving Vietnam’s seaport system through 2020, with orientation toward 2030, two international gateway ports of grade IA are Hai Phong seaport (the main wharf area in Lach Huyen) and Vung Tau seaport (the main wharf area in Cai Mep); the potential ports of grade IA are Da Nang seaport (the main wharf area in Lien Chieu) and Khanh Hoa seaport (the main wharf area in Van Phong.)
Seaports of grade IA are now called special seaports, which are large seaports serving the socio-economic development of the whole country or of inter-regions and having the function of international transshipment or international gateways.
International Local Development Consortium (ILDC) from France intends to develop a US$6 billion deep seaport complex in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam. This was announced by Tran Van Chuyen, Chairman of the Soc Trang People’s Committee at the working session with Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The on March 12.
Soc Trang province received numerous planning documents from investors proposing to develop the deep seaport in the province. ILDC’s plan is one of the most feasible of the received documents, according to Chuyen.
Notably, ILDC’s complex would have numerous components, including a 4,000-hectare seaport with the capacity to welcome 200,000DWT ships, a 1,500ha urban and industrial area, a service area, and other infrastructure.
Compared to other locations in the Mekong River Delta, Soc Trang possesses huge potential for seaport and shipping development as well as waterway transport.